THE FEDS HAVE RELEASED A SICKENING VIDEO SHOWING THE
EXTENT OF THE BRUTALITY OF A POLICE OFFICIAL IN MISSOURI.
THIS IS A CASE INVOLVING A 17-YEAR-OLD
NAMED BRYCE MASTERS WHO SUFFERED BRAIN DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF
THE EXCESSIVE FORCE USED BY THE POLICE OFFICIAL.
THE OFFICIAL WAS SENTENCED LAST WEEK TO 40
YEARS IN PRISON OVER THE SEPTEMBER 2014 INCIDENT.
I WANT TO WARN YOU GUYS, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
DIFFICULT VIDEOS FOR ME TO WATCH PERSONALLY.
IT ENDED WITH ME CRYING.
IT'S GRAPHIC.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE STORY IS SO
IMPORTANT AND WHY IT IS GETTING SO MUCH ATTENTION.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> GET OUT.
GET YOUR ASS OUT NOW.
>> I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING OFFICER.
I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING OFFICER.
AM I UNDER ARREST?
>>GET OUT OF THE CAR.
>>AM I UNDER ARREST?
>>GIVE ME YOUR HAND, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST?
>> FOR WHAT?
>> JUST GET OUT.
GET OUT RIGHT NOW.
OUT OF THE CAR.
ON THE GROUND.
TOLD YOU.
PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK.
>> SO, THAT VIDEO IS DIFFICULT TO WATCH BECAUSE BRYCE
MASTERS SUFFERED FROM BRAIN DAMAGE AS A RESULT.
FOR ANYONE WHO WAS UNCLEAR ON WHAT OCCURRED.
THE POLICE OFFICIAL, WHO IS NO LONGER A COP, TEASED HIM FOR
23 SECONDS STRAIGHT IN THE HEART.
THAT LED TO CARDIAC ARREST, AS A RESULT OXYGEN WAS CUT OFF
TO HIS BRAIN FOR 5 TO 8 SECONDS.
HE SUFFERED A COMA, HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL.
>> THE MOST SICKENING PART WAS WHEN YOU HEARD A THUD.
HE IS HANDCUFFED, HE CAN'T PROTECT HIMSELF.
THEN YOU HEAR HIS HEAD BOUNCE OFF THE PAVEMENT.
BUT HE ACTUALLY GOT INTO CARDIAC ARREST FROM BEING TASED IN
THE HEART.
THIS IS WHAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT.
I KNOW COPS HAVE A WARRIOR MENTALITY, WE ARE ALL THE
ENEMY AND THEY ARE THE OCCUPYING FORCE.
BUT SOME OF US ARE CITIZENS THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
PROTECTING.
I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING COPS FIND CONTROVERSIAL.
MAYBE WE SHOULD TEACH YOU GUYS EMPATHY, SO YOU UNDERSTAND
THERE ARE OTHER HUMAN BEINGS IN THE WORLD.
MAYBE IF WE HAD TRAINING THAT SAID, WHEN YOU ARE
ARRESTING A KID IMAGINE IT IS YOUR KID.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU NOT TO BE ON GUARD, BUT IF IT WAS YOUR
KID YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE DROPPED HIM FACE FIRST ON
THE CONCRETE.
YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE TEASED HIM IN THE HEART EITHER.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE EMPATHY SO YOU THINK WHO CARES.
>> AS I MENTIONED, BRYCE MASTERS WAS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
HE SUFFERED FROM A COMA.
HIS PARENTS SHOW UP TO THE SCENE, AND THEY REALIZED
ONE OF THEM SHOULD STAY BEHIND.
THE FATHER, WHO WAS ALSO A POLICE OFFICIAL, STAYED
BEHIND TO HELP COLLECT EVIDENCE.
THE MOTHER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL NOT REALIZING THE EXTENT OF
HER SONS INJURIES.
A NEUROLOGIST WAS WORKING ON THIS CASE.
THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE INTERCEPT.
THE NEUROLOGIST THEN PULLED THE PARENTS IN AND EXPLAINED THAT
SHE HAD CALCULATED BRYCE'S GLASCOW COMA SCORE, TO
GAUGE THE SEVERITY OF HIS BRAIN INJURY.
HE SAID THAT BRYCE HAD SCORED A THREE, THE HIGHEST SCORE IS A
15.
THREE IS THE WORST POSSIBLE SCORE.
HE HAD A 50/50 CHANCE OF SURVIVAL.
MIRACULOUSLY HE DID SURVIVE.
SINCE HIS FATHER WAS A FORMER COP, HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT
THE FBI AND GET THE FEDS INVOLVED IMMEDIATELY.
HE NOTICED THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY IN THE WAY THE
POLICE OFFICIALS WERE RESPONDING TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
AT FIRST THEY SAID THERE WAS A WARRANT OUT, BUT THERE WAS
NO INDICATION IF YOU RAN THE PLATES THAT THERE WAS ANY
WARRANT OR WRONGDOING.
THEN THEY TRIED TO WALK BACK AND SAY THEY SMELLED MARIJUANA.
THIS COMES FROM A COP WHO WAS NOW VICTIMIZED BY THE SAME
TYPE OF POLICE BRUTALITY WE TALK ABOUT.
I LOVE HIS STATEMENT.
I WANT TO READ IT.
HE SAYS WHATEVER YOU SEE THESE OFFICERS COME OUT WITH A
USE OF FORCE, WHETHER IT BE A SHOOTING OR TASERING,
THERE ARE PHRASES THAT ALWAYS GO IN THOSE REPORTS THAT WE
HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO PUT IN THERE.
SO MANY TIMES THAT IS LIKE AN INSERT QUOTE HERE, BECAUSE
THAT IS GOING TO COVER YOUR ASS.
BECAUSE THE FEDS WERE INVOLVED AND THEY DID AN ACCURATE
INVESTIGATION AND SAW THE MARKS NEAR HIS HEART, THEY FOUND
THAT THEY NEED TO GO AFTER THIS COP.
HE GOT FOUR YEARS IN PRISON AS A RESULT.
>> THIS IS WHAT DRIVES US CRAZY, SOMETIMES REPUBLICAN
RIGHT-WINGERS, THEY DON'T HAVE EMPATHY UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO
THEM.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY POLICE ABUSE, THEN IT HAPPENS TO YOUR
KID, IT TURNS OUT THAT WE DO DO THAT, AND NOW I REALIZE WE
WERE ALL COVERING OUR ASSES.
>> BY THE WAY, THEY DID FIND A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA
IN HIS POCKET.
BUT IS NOT WORTH RUINING SOMEONE'S LIFE?
>> IF YOU ARE OBJECTIVE ABOUT IT, YOU WOULD REALIZE WHAT
A PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM IT IS.
WHEN THEY GIVE HIM A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
SOMETHING UP, HE SAID HE SMELLED MARIJUANA.
HOW COULD YOU DO THAT AS HE PULLED HIM OVER IN A CAR?
THAT IS NONSENSE.
HIS DAD REALIZED THAT IT WAS A CLASSIC THING THAT THEY MAKE UP.
I'M GLAD THE FEDS GOT INVOLVED AND THERE IS SOME DEGREE OF
JUSTICE NOW.
HE GOT A FOUR YEAR SENTENCE, RIGHT?
>>YES.
HE WILL NO LONGER BE A COP.
JUSTICE WAS SERVED.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DECIDED TO PUT THIS CASE
BEFORE A GRAND JURY.
AS A RESULT JUSTICE WAS SERVED.
THINK ABOUT ALL THE CASES WHERE THE PARENTS OF THE VICTIM
HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RESOURCES AND HAVE NO POWER AT ALL, AND
DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIT UP THE FBI AND SAY MY SON WAS
A VICTIM, CAN YOU PLEASE COME INVESTIGATE THIS?
THIS SHOWS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR RACE OR
SOCIOECONOMIC IS, IF YOU EMBOLDEN POLICE OFFICIALS
TO ACT THIS WAY, SOME OF THEM WELL WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCES.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS.
WE NEED TO TRAIN THEM BETTER AND HAVE STARK CONSEQUENCES FOR
ALL COPS THAT DO THIS POLICE BRUTALITY.
>> WE CHOSE TO SHOW YOU THIS VIDEO BECAUSE WITHOUT THE
VIDEO, POLICE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAY MY WORD AGAINST HIS.
IS EASY TO CATEGORIZE THEM AS
THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT
NEED TO GO TO JAIL.
NOW YOU SEE THE VIDEO AND YOU SAY, IT TURNS OUT THERE IS
POLICE ABUSE, AND UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF IT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO FIX THE SYSTEM.